Moving To Italy - S01 E02

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Moving To Italy - S01 E02

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 2

Moving To Italy Episode 2

The day was progressing and the sun was beginning to shine brighter and brighter. Uju and her companions had left Madam Philo's house as early as 5am when the roosters where still crowing. Everyone was happy when they left, but as soon as they entered the bush, it became clear to all of them that they were in serious trouble. Uju was the first to notice it and to raise the alarm but Madam Philo had shut her up and made her realise that she was not the one in charge of the journey.

"I don't even know where this woman is taking us to. If I had known, I would have remained at the hotel where I worked and earned N20,000 per month. Where is she taking us to in this bush? I may not know much, but I certainly know that this is not the road to Italy. We are in the middle of nowhere. I didn't even know that the woman has a gun. She seems to be a dangerous person. How am I going to rescue myself from this situation?" Uju asked herself. She was secretly crying as she realizes that Madam Philo may not be taking them to Italy, but to somewhere else. The worse part was that there was nothing Uju could do about the situation. Madam Philo was armed and none of the ladies in the bus had any weapon.

The bus kept moving into the bush until it bursts out in a place that looked like a town. Uju was educated, so she was trying to see if there was any signpost which would give her a clue of where they were. The bus soon entered a major expressway and started speeding really fast. Uju had her eyes fixed on the roadside, desperately searching for a signboard to read. She wants to know exactly where they were.

"This place looks like a big town. I'm seeing a lot of people and cars. I can even see a lot of houses. Which means we have entered a major city. But the problem is to know where this is. Where exactly is this?" Uju asked herself. She wanted to ask Madam Philo to tell them the name of the city, but she was scared of what would happen if she spoke to the woman. She chose to respect herself. She kept watching the roadside carefully hoping she would see one signboard with something she could read.

"I can't read the signboards properly. It looks like everything is written in French language. Are we in France? Did she bring us to France instead of Italy? Maybe she wants us to cross into Italy from France. But the journey was so short and we did not fly. How did we enter France so easily and speedily? This place might not be France, it may be a French-speaking town." Uju said in her heart as she kept searching for a clearer signboard or billboard with information about where they were.

Uju's eyes came across one of the signboards which mentioned a familiar name, but the bus passed too fast before she had the chance to confirm that what she saw was actually Benin Republic.

"Is that not Benin Republic that I saw on the signboard? Is my eyes paining me or what? What are we doing in Benin Republic when we are supposed to be in Italy?" Uju asked herself. She decided not to conclude yet until she confirms it on another signboard or billboard. Soon, the bus stopped at a traffic light, waiting for it to turn green.

"This is an opportunity for me to read the signboards properly so that I will know this place." Uju said as she started looking around.

Soon, her eyes fell on a particular signboard which read "Welcome to Benin Republic". It was written in French, but also interpreted in English.

Uju was shocked.

"Maybe, the flight ticket from Nigeria to Italy is too expensive and Madam Philo wants us to fly from Benin Republic. Well, this could be a good idea if that is what she wants." Uju said to herself. Uju was hoping that her instincts were right. But she doubts if she was right.

The bus driver soon negotiated a roundabout after the traffic light turned green. He branched into a street that looked quiet and unoccupied by many people. After the bus entered the lonely streets, Uju could only see a few people and a few vehicles. The vehicles she was seeing looked posh and expensive. There were по commercial buses or taxis in the area. The area looked like what Nigerians call a GRA. It looked clean and there were flowers aligning the road. When Uju looked around, she could see many high rise buildings that looked as if they belonged to billionaires.

"This is a rich neighborhood. What are we doing here? There is no airport in this area and we

cannot possibly be flying to Italy from here. I cannot see any aeroplane. What are we doing in this neighborhood?" Uju asked herself. The bus soon entered a compound and packed under a shade. The compound has a mansion in it. The mansion is even bigger than the one Madam Philo built in Nigeria.

"Hmmm! Does this mansion belong to Madam Philo?" Uju asked herself. As they were coming out of the bus, she looked around and saw a sign on the mansion. It reads "Welcome to Madam Philo's Hotel".

"Ah! She owns a hotel here. Maybe she wants us to pass the night here so that we will fly to Italy tomorrow. Nice one! This is a good idea." Uju said to herself as they were ushered into the beautiful hotel. The beautiful hotel is a seven storey building which easily stood out in the neighbourhood. It was easily the most beautiful building in the area. The hotel has more than 100 rooms which were tastefully furnished with modern things to give comfort. Uju was surprised when she was shown her own room.

"This is your room. Everything you need is in this room. You are not expected to leave this hotel without permission from Madam Philo. You are to stay here and do whatever you are told to do. You are not allowed to ask questions, or to refuse to carry out an instruction. You must obey every word. Here is $1,000 dollars for you. You are expected to use the money to order good clothes to make yourself beautiful and to get ready for the job you have come here to do.

Somone will come to help you to go and buy the things you need. You are not allowed to go out." A stern-looking young man tells Uju. The man did not allow Uju to say anything or to ask questions before leaving the room.

Watch out for episode three